Facing challenges in higher education: enhancing accessibility and inclusion through flexible learning design

Afonso, Ana Paula; Morgado, Lina; Carvalho, Isabel Cristina; Spilker, Maria João

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.2/20755

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Authors

Afonso, Ana Paula

Morgado, Lina

Carvalho, Isabel Cristina

Spilker, Maria João

Abstract(s)

The increasing cultural and demographic diversity among higher education students highlights the challenges regarding accessibility and inclusion. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift toward flexible, technology-based teaching practices. However, inclusive, and accessible pedagogical practices lack consistency, particularly when supporting students with disabilities or diverse learning needs. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Learning Design for Flexible Education (FLeD) Tool—a web-based platform developed to support teachers in designing flexible and inclusive learning scenarios. The research adopts a qualitative approach, featuring semi-structured interviews with two Portuguese experts in accessibility and inclusion. The experts analyzed three learning scenarios designed using the FLeD Tool, through the lens of Universal Design for Learning standards. The collected dataset was analyzed using thematic analysis to identify common issues, strengths, and opportunities for improvement. The findings show a gap between institutional policies and their practical application, mainly due to inconsistent teacher training and technical limitations. While the FLeD Tool supports more flexible and inclusive pedagogical designs, experts have identified key shortcomings such as the lack of automated accessibility checks and limited support for specific disabilities. Despite the reduced number of participants (two experts) and dataset (three learning scenarios), which limits the study’s generalizability, the conclusions draw attention to the pivotal role of systematic teacher training, embedded accessibility features and solid institutional policies in bridging the gap between policy aspiration and effective inclusive practice.

Keywords

Inclusion Accessibility Flipped learning and teaching Learning design

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.2/20755

Citation

Afonso, A., Morgado, L., Carvalho, I. C., & Spilker, M. J. (2025). Facing Challenges in Higher Education: Enhancing Accessibility and Inclusion Through Flexible Learning Design. Education Sciences, 15(8), 1013. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15081013